ADMINISTRATIVE CORE A PROJECT SUMMARY The overall goal of the Administrative Core is to provide administrative leadership to support the mission of the Cleveland DDRCC. The Core supports digestive disease investigators at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute (CCF LRI) by 1) assuring appropriate allocation of Cleveland DDRCC resources and providing overall financial management for the Center, 2) continuing to develop the Center in a manner that maximizes productivity and effectiveness and strategically grows the Cleveland DDRCC Research Base in the thematic areas of Digestive Inflammation/Tumorigenesis and Liver Disease/Metabolism, and 3) fostering opportunities for scientific collaboration among our Center members and development of our junior investigators. The Center Director, Dr. Fabio Cominelli, and Associate Center Directors, Drs. Claudio Fiocchi (CCF) and Theresa Pizarro (CWRU), provide the administrative and scientific leadership for the Cleveland DDRCC. Their leadership is augmented by the support of an Internal Advisory Committee and an Executive Committee, which is composed of the Center directors, Core directors, Scientific Program leaders, and two ad hoc DDRCC members. The Executive Committee meets quarterly to review all financial and programmatic issues related to the Center. An External Advisory Committee composed of three international leaders in the thematic areas of the Center meets annually with the Center Director and Executive Committee to review the Center and provide critical feedback. A Center Administrator and Administrative Assistant provide support for day-to-day financial management and operation of the DDRCC, and a Core Consultant performs regular evaluation of the Center?s Research Base, Core services, and Center activities to assure the Center continues to cost-effectively meet the evolving needs of its members over time. The Core supports a clinical element directed by Dr. Gregory Cooper, which provides biostatical/study design and bioinformatic support services to Center members, as well as a robust Enrichment Program directed by Dr. Theresa Pizarro aimed at fostering new investigations and collaborations in digestive diseases research. The Enrichment Program supports a DDRCC Seminar Series with research-in-progress talks by Center members and seven visiting professors per year, partipation in the Midwest DDRCC Alliance and its annual research symposium (hosted by the Cleveland DDRCC in 2018), the biannual Cleveland IDEAS Symposium, the DDRCC Young Investigators Network, and strategic planning retreats with Center leadership and members. Finally, the Administrative Core coordinates a vibrant Pilot and Feasibility Program directed by Dr. Amitabh Chak to promote the development of junior investigators in digestive diseases. The Cleveland DDRCC has received exceptional institutional support from the CWRU School of Medicine and CWRU Digestive Health Research Institute, and the CCF LRI and Digestive Diseases Instititute and looks forward to continuing with its mission over the next funding cycle.